What is wellbeing?
In today's fast-paced work environment, maintaining our wellbeing has become more important than ever. Wellbeing is the state of being comfortable, healthy, and happy, both physically and mentally. It encompasses all aspects of our lives, including our work. By understanding and improving on the five pillars of wellbeing – that being physical, mental, financial, social, and digital – we can enhance our overall wellbeing, leading to greater success and satisfaction at work and in all aspects of life.
The 5 Pillars of Wellbeing
Wellbeing can be represented as a set of pillars, with each pillar representing a different aspect of our lives that contributes to our overall wellbeing. Different models exist, some including up to seven pillars, but there are four that are the core components of wellbeing.
The first pillar is physical wellbeing, which encompasses our physical health, including exercise, nutrition, and sleep. It is essential to maintain a healthy body as it enables us to perform daily activities, prevents illnesses, and boosts our energy levels.
The second pillar is mental wellbeing, which includes emotional and psychological health. It is essential to recognise and manage stress, anxiety, and other mental health concerns. This pillar can be supported through meditation, therapy, and mindfulness practices.
The third pillar is financial wellbeing, which includes our financial stability and security. This pillar involves having a steady income, financial literacy, and the ability to manage debt and savings. It is crucial to create financial goals and plan for the future to alleviate financial stress.
The fourth pillar is social wellbeing, which encompasses our relationships with others. Social support is essential for emotional and mental wellbeing, and it involves building and maintaining healthy relationships with family, friends, and colleagues.
In recent years, employee wellbeing has become a focus for many employers, and the representation of wellbeing has expanded to include additional pillars. One example of this is the Five Pillars of Wellbeing model, which includes the core four pillars, as well as Digital Wellbeing. Digital wellbeing includes managing screen time, social media use, and digital overload, as these can all impact our mental and physical health.
In the following sections, we will explore each of the five pillars of wellbeing at work in more detail, examining how we can nurture and strengthen each aspect of our lives to enhance our overall wellbeing.
Physical wellbeing
Physical wellbeing is one of the four core pillars of overall wellbeing, and it encompasses a range of factors that contribute to our physical health and fitness. Physical wellbeing includes regular exercise, healthy eating habits, and getting enough restful sleep.
One way employers can promote physical wellbeing among their staff is by ensuring that workloads are achievable and not excessive, allowing employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Employers can also encourage regular breaks and provide opportunities for relaxation, exercise, and physical activity during the workday.
Additionally, employers can prioritise creating ergonomic and safe working environments that minimise the risk of physical injury or strain. This can include providing adjustable desks and chairs, ensuring proper lighting, and promoting good posture.
Employers can also encourage staff to cycle to work by providing secure bike storage and shower facilities. Providing healthy food options, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, can also contribute to physical wellbeing by ensuring that employees have access to nutritious and energising food options.
Other examples of promoting physical wellbeing include offering discounted gym memberships, organising fitness classes or sports activities, and hosting wellness events such as health screenings or flu shot clinics.
Mental wellbeing
Mental wellbeing is another crucial pillar of overall wellbeing, and it refers to our emotional and psychological health. It is becoming increasingly important in work contexts, as it enables staff to respond to the challenges of their roles and maintain positive mental health.
Employers can promote mental wellbeing by implementing workplace wellbeing strategies that prioritise emotional and psychological support for employees. This can include providing resources for stress management, promoting mindfulness and relaxation techniques, and offering mental health counselling services and personal or group meditations.
It is important for employers to be aware of work-related stress and anxiety, which can be caused by high workloads, long hours, and other factors that can impact mental wellbeing. Employers can take steps to reduce these stressors, such as promoting a healthy work-life balance through offering flexible work arrangements.
It is also essential to consider the mental wellbeing of remote workers, as they may face unique challenges and stressors related to working from home. Employers can promote mental wellbeing for remote workers by encouraging self-care practices and providing access to mental health resources online.
Finally, it is important for managers to focus on their own positive mental health, as they play a critical role in supporting the mental wellbeing of their teams and provide emotional support and resources for their team members.
Financial wellbeing
Financial issues and challenges can cause significant stress and anxiety for employees, especially in the current economic climate. Financial stress can arise from a variety of factors, such as high levels of debt, unexpected expenses, low income, or a lack of financial planning and management skills. This stress can have a detrimental impact on an employee's mental and physical health, as well as their work performance.
Employers can play an important role in supporting the financial wellbeing of their staff by offering financial education and resources, such as workshops on budgeting and debt management, access to financial advisors, and resources for retirement planning. Employers can also provide flexible work arrangements or financial benefits, such as paid time off for financial planning, retirement savings plans, or student loan repayment assistance.
Social wellbeing
Social wellbeing is closely related to emotional and mental wellbeing, as social connections and support play a critical role in maintaining positive mental health. Social wellbeing refers to an individual's sense of belonging and feeling connected with others, including family, friends, colleagues, and the broader community.
Employers can promote social wellbeing by creating a collaborative and supportive workplace culture that emphasises teamwork, communication, and interpersonal relationships. This can include developing a culture of togetherness and team building, promoting social interaction and communication, and providing opportunities for staff to connect and collaborate on projects.
However, remote working can present challenges to social wellbeing, as staff may feel isolated or disconnected from their colleagues. Employers can take steps to mitigate these challenges by promoting virtual social interaction, such as virtual coffee breaks or team-building activities, and by providing resources for social connection, such as access to online chat platforms or video conferencing tools.
Employers can also boost social wellbeing by organizing workplace social occasions, such as team lunches or after-work drinks, and by asking staff what activities they would like to participate in.
Digital wellbeing
Recently, the core four pillars of wellbeing have been augmented with an important fifth pillar that acknowledges the significance of people's digital lives. It refers to the ability to use technology in a balanced and healthy way.
Digital wellbeing affects all other pillars of wellbeing, as the use of digital technologies and services can impact an individual's physical health (e.g., through prolonged screen time), mental health (e.g., through the overuse of social media), social health (e.g., through feelings of isolation or disconnection), and financial health (e.g., through overspending on online purchases).
The significance of digital wellbeing has become increasingly important in the modern context of remote working, as employees are often required to rely on digital technologies to stay connected and productive in their work. Employers can take steps to boost digital wellbeing in their staff by providing training in the use of technologies, ensuring staff take regular screen breaks, providing ergonomic furniture and workstations, and promoting the use of mindfulness apps to reduce stress and anxiety.
Employers can also support digital wellbeing by encouraging staff to disconnect from technology during non-work hours, and providing resources for managing digital overload, such as email management tools or time-management apps.
The benefits of good wellbeing in the workplace
Staff wellbeing is crucial for running a successful business. Firstly, it improves staff retention by creating a positive and supportive work environment where employees feel valued and cared for. This, in turn, leads to increased productivity and staff commitment, as employees are more likely to go above and beyond their job requirements when they feel supported and appreciated. Additionally, staff wellbeing programs can reduce absences and sick leave, as employees are less likely to suffer from stress-related illnesses and burnout.
Investing in staff wellbeing can also boost the business reputation, as customers and clients are more likely to support a company that prioritises the wellbeing of its employees. Furthermore, promoting staff wellbeing can help develop a cohesive, resilient workforce, as employees are better equipped to cope with the challenges of their roles and are more likely to work collaboratively and support one another.
The importance of wellbeing at work has become increasingly recognised, with many employers developing staff wellbeing strategies to improve employee health and happiness. By focusing on the five pillars of wellbeing - physical, mental, financial, social, and digital - employers can create a supportive and wholesome work environment. Ultimately, investing in staff wellbeing is a smart business decision that can lead to a range of benefits, both for employees and for the organisation.
At Ethical Property, we offer a range of modern workspace that will help you set up a healthy environment for your team. If you’re looking for new serviced and flexible office space, get in touch with us at sales@ethicalproperty.co.uk, call us on 0330 016 3440, or visit www.ethicalproperty.co.uk/contact-us.